Page 51 of Origins
“That’s scary,” to say the least. There wasn’t too much for me to say in response to this information overload. But some things were beginning to make sense now. “What’s wrong with using exorcism?” The way they said it, they made it seem wrong—as if it was something terrible.
“People with my types of abilities exorcise spirits, but it’s an unpleasant business.” Damen glanced to the side. “It’s something that is only done as a last resort. Outside of that, I normally cannot see a spirit unless it reaches a certain level. No spirit wants to risk being summoned by anonmyoji.”
“How do you summon someone—with a Ouija board?” The idea didn’t sound appealing to me. Generally, ghost horror stories began with a ceremony gone wrong, didn’t they?
“It’s different,” he said. “When I summon ashikigamiit becomes bound to me. I can send it on tasks, missions—whatever I’d like. I can also make it fight against another spirit or demon. Of course, there’s always a risk with owning ashikigami. They might not be willing to be yours. It is a practice that can backfire if theonmyojiis not careful.”
“Wait,” I almost jumped out of Titus’ arms as I realized the implications of what he had said. “The bird in the bathroom—was that one?”
I witnessed a battle and hadn’t realized it? If I had known, I certainly would have paid more attention.
It was Damen’s turn to look surprised. “The bird?” He and Miles exchanged a surprised look before he glanced back at me. “You could see it?”
Oh.I hoped it didn’t upset him, but he didn’t seem to like this at all. “I’m sorry…” I apologized. “I couldn’t help it. It was right there, and was quite colorful. I’d have to have been blind not to notice.”
The stunned expression lifted, and his mouth upturned once again. “The fact that you saw him means more than I can say. It also seals the fact that you belong with us now.”
I didn’t understand a lot, but at least this was the beginning of something. But I knew I had a lot to learn before I grasped the concept of Damen’s abilities. I glanced at Miles—and noticed that he had been waiting to catch my eyes.
“I’m different than Damen,” he responded to my unspoken question. Unlike before, he was nervous now. “I’m not a medium, either. My abilities—my magics—are earth-based. I have a slight sensitivity toward spirits. I can vaguely sense those that are tied to places on the earth, but it is not the source of my strength. I’m a witch. And witches focus on the physical happenings of our realm.”
Thatwas more surprising than Damen’s revelation. I gaped at him. “But I thought women were witches and men were wizards?”
Miles rolled his eyes with a slight grimace. “That’s a common misconception, and not true. Men and women canbothbe witches or wizards. But I’m only going to be a witch for a short time longer, anyway. I’ve been working my way up, but France delayed my education. I have a few weeks left. Graduation is on October thirty-first.”
I blinked at him. There were ranks? Theygraduated? I had no idea there was even an actual school for this type of thing—or that they were real. What was this,Harry Potter? “What level does a witch graduate to?”
Mischief sparkled in his eyes and he gave me an expectant look. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”
So they really did plan on keeping me around. My heart thundered furiously, but not from fear this time. It was pure adrenaline. Joy. We’d been friends for such a short time, and they were already sharing secrets and making plans for our future.
I wasn’t sure how I’d ever be able to repay them.
I glanced at Julian, who was seated on the floor beside me. I couldn’t keep the eagerness out of my voice as I directed my next question to him. “What about you, Julian?”
His face darkened at my question—I could tell by his flinch that he didn’t like being asked. He didn’t want to tell me, that much was obvious. There was something—a deep hatred toward his abilities. I recognized it because it was the same expression I saw in the mirror every day.
My eyes flickered toward Titus—he had a similar expression. It had slipped my attention before, but Titus was no longer a relaxed figure under me. His muscles were tense—as if he were fighting the urge to flee.
I recognized this for what it was—not an emotion toward me, but fear toward the situation. A growing sense of kinship began to blossom towards both of them. I realized that Damen and Miles had apparently come to terms with their capabilities, but Titus and Julian clearly had not.
It made me wonder even more about their supernatural powers, but I couldn’t ask again. It would have been intrusive. All I knew was that they couldn’t see human spirits. If they could, then Damen would have asked them about what happened in the bathroom.
Julian opened his mouth to respond to my question—despite not wanting to—but I cut him off. “It’s alright, don’t stress about it.”
The words died, and his worried blue eyes met mine. And I didn’t miss the glimmer of surprise within their depths.
“You don’t have to tell me.” I glanced between the two of them. “I’ll trust you, and if we need to talk about it later then we can talk then. It’s not a big deal to know right now.”
Titus’ muscles relaxed, and Julian’s gaze softened. He leaned closer to me, and his finger traced along the curve of my jaw. “You are perfect,” he said.
His voice so low I hardly heard him. But I did, and I couldn’t stop the heat from rising at his words. He didn’t seem to notice; he only appeared to be confused.
“I don’t understand…”
His voice trailed off as Titus interrupted, his velvety tones huskier than ever, “Just don’t question it, Jules.”
They both seemed relieved that I hadn’t pressed the issue, and Miles and Damen’s expressions of wary concern faded. The tension in the room dissipated, and the four of them began to breathe easier.
